Forbidden Fruit Romance T
by Romance Novel
Summary: Having been prohibited to not do gymnastics or else risk her walking ability, Payson clings onto the one person that has never lied or covered his feelings: Coach Sasha Belov. The only problem is, he's been acting differently ever since her accident.
1. Hospital Confessions, or Not

Title: Forbidden Fruit  
Rating: T  
Setting: After All That Glitters  
Pairing: Payson/Sasha with mentions of Carter/Kaylie, Carter/Lauren and Emily/Damon.  
Disclaimer: I don' t own Make it or Break it or the characters in this story.  
Summary: Having been prohibited to not do gymnastics or else risk her walking ability, Payson clings onto the one person that has never lied or covered his feelings: Coach Sasha Belov. The only problem is, he's been acting differently ever since her accident. I have wanted Payson and Sasha together throughout the show. Their chemistry is undeniable and since the writers don't seem to realize it, I decided to put my own thoughts on paper.

Chapter One: Hospital Confessions, or Not

Sasha Belov ran a quick hand over his wheat colored hair, let out a small sigh, and then walked into the hospital room. Amidst all the celebrations and congratulating he had received from his peers and the team's parents, his mind kept crawling back to Payson laying in this exact room. Hours before she had been rushed from the gymnasium to the hospital after falling out in the middle of her performance. He instantly ran to her side to make sure she was still breathing.

His knocked lightly on the doorframe while gazing at the young blonde comfortably adorned. At first glance, she appeared to be sleeping but after a few moments she turned her head to look at him. Her expression went from unreadable to afraid in a matter of seconds. She bit her lip and her face turned a slight reddish color. He shook his head and slowly approached her, easing away from the doorframe.

"Payson, don't cry." He said simply yet softly. He looked down at her as she tried to avoid eye contact while simultaneously wiping her tears away. She finally looked at him again, somehow trying to read his expression, which stayed content. He was never a man to show emotion other than required for coaching.

"…I'm sorry." She croaked out. Tears seemed to pour out silently as the words found their way from her lips. "I let you down, I let the team down. I let my parents down. I –"

"Stop." He interrupted, holding his hand up. "Stop playing the victim card. You are not a victim, Payson."

"If I keep doing gymnastics then I can't walk." She said weirdly. The fact still hadn't hit her yet. Gymnastics was her life and the fact that continuing it would hinder her in a more serious way. She snapped out of her thoughts when Sasha said two simple words.

"I know."

She looked at him. In the eyes. She didn't know what to say, but it did feel better that she didn't have to explain it over again like she did when Kaylie, Lauren, and Emily came in to check on her.

"Your mom told me." He explained. He slipped his hands into his pockets and looked down briefly. For some reason, this made her extremely mad. He was being quiet and sympathetic. Two things that did not define Sasha Belov and she knew it.

She slowly pulled herself up a bit more so she was propped up. Her body was still extremely weak, but she fought through the pain emitting from her spine to continue this conversation. "Say it." She started, running a hand through her hair. "Tell me how stupid I am for taking cortisone shots without anyone's consent. Tell me that you expected better of me and that I need to stop being selfish and start thinking of the team and everyone that was counting on me out there in that audience. Go ahead." She said, glaring at him.

There was still a sympathetic look on his face throughout her entire lecture. What was wrong with him? When she finished, he cleared his throat and took his hands from his pockets. He pointed a finger towards the door. "I'm gonna go see how the girls are doing."

"Sasha, stop! Please don't do this." She sort of whined.

He made a small face, finally losing the pity exterior. "Do what?"

"That." She said, sighing a little. She looked down. "Everyone that has come in here has given me the pity look. They think that by complimenting me on how 'good' I look will cover up what they're really thinking. No one wants to say how this is the stupidest thing I could have ever done. That's what I need. I need honesty. I need criticism. I need…" She trailed off, looking back up at him. "…you." She hesitated when she said it, and the look on his face wasn't helping. It instantly went to unreadable. She didn't know what he was thinking but she figured she might as well continue. "I need you to be you. I-I need you to yell at me and tell me the truth. Don't be like everyone else. Please."

Their eye contact held on for a couple seconds. Suddenly the room felt too small, too hot, too everything. He cleared his throat, but it didn't help the situation. Her eyes were so pleading, searching for something in him. Words he couldn't bring himself to say. Not when she was already punishing herself. He cleared his throat once more. "Payson…" He trailed off, figuring out the right words to say.

Outside the room, nurses could be heard pulling a stretcher through the room. It snapped both of them out of their forbidden thoughts. Now was not the time. They had bigger things to deal with. "Get some rest." He finally said, before exiting the room.

All the weight that had held her up, suddenly gave in and she fell back onto the bed. She closed her eyes slowly and did just what her coach had ordered. Although it wasn't what she had wanted, it turned out to be what she needed to hear. At least for now.


	2. Girl Talk

A/N: Thank you to everyone who subscribed to this fanfic and left comments. I didn't know there were so many Payson/Sasha fans out there. Knowing that I made the FIRST fanfic of them on warms my heart. Hopefully I present them well! Also, sorry for the crappy titles. I suck at titles, but I tried to be clever with him.

Chapter Two: Girl Talk

"So what does this mean? You guys are a couple?" Kaylie asked, obviously confused, as she taped one side of the "WE LOVE YOU PAYSON" banner to the starch white hospital room. All of the girls at the gym had written various get well soon messages on it. Some of the people Payson had barely talked to, but to see that they cared made her feel somewhat special.

Emily was holding onto the other side of the banner, taping it down while simultaneously thinking of the question Kaylie asked only a matter of seconds ago. "I don't know." She finally said. "I mean, I just went up, kissed him, and then left. We didn't talk about it or anything." She said softly. Finally the banner stood on it's on. Kaylie and Emily stepped back and looked up at their work. It was perfectly straight, the only thing in the room that wasn't completely messed up or confused like the girls that also occupied it.

"I think you should go for it." Lauren said, finally speaking. She had been too busy flipping through one of the older People Magazine's she picked up from the waiting room that no one had thought she was listening to Emily's boy dilemma.

Emily looked over at her, visibly curious as to what she was hinting at. A less enthusiastic Kaylie sighed extra loudly and kept her eyes glued to the banner. "You think so?" Emily asked.

She nodded. "It's so obvious that he liked you. I'm surprised he hasn't called yet clarifying what you two are now after that liplock." She offered. "Plus, Damon's cute."

Kaylie smirked and looked over at Lauren. "Don't tell me you're gonna go have sex with him now?" She jabbed.

"Actually no, I prefer sleeping with guys I actually like. I'll let you know when I find one so you can go and date him." Lauren spat. Kaylie glared and opened her mouth to say something, but Payson beat her to it.

"Okay guys, stop it. If you two are gonna bitch at each other then take it somewhere else." She wasn't going to lie, she preferred them arguing as opposed to the awkward silence that had covered the room when the three of them entered. After the inevitable hello's, an uncomfortable silence followed before Emily bravely broke the ice with her thoughts on Damon. It had been a week since everything happened, and Emily hadn't spoke to him once.

Everyone looked at Payson and the sympathetic looks immediately spread across their faces. "Sorry Pay." Kaylie said, walking over to her. "How are you feeling?"

Payson shrugged slightly. "I'm okay." She said, sighing a little. "I just wish I could go home. And…you know." She said, referring to gymnastics. The thought was still too vulnerable.

"Have you talked to Sasha?" Emily piped, walking over as well. "Maybe he could help you figure out a way that you could still be on the team?" She said this without any sympathy or remorse for her words. That was one thing Payson loved about Emily. However, the mere mention of Sasha's name made Payson look away.

They hadn't spoken since he came and visited the first time. She didn't understand what he problem was. A coach was supposed to be there for his team, especially in situations like these. She needed him right now and he was letting her down.

"Can you guys talk to him for me?" She asked softly, her eyes quickly glancing at each of them individually. Emily proceeded to look at Kaylie and Lauren before nodding. Lauren stared a little suspiciously at her. The question as to why Payson herself couldn't talk to him herself hung in the air.

Kaylie nodded, throwing in a small smile. "Of course. We'll tell him the minute we see him at practice." She said, reassuringly. She slowly got up. "Speaking of practice, I have to get home and stretch out before my muscles tighten." She said, before picking up her gym bag. Emily and Lauren instantly started picking up all their belongings. "We'll come by tomorrow." Kaylie said, before walking out the front door. Emily waved shyly and followed suit. Lauren hesitated at the door before turning and looking at Payson. The two of them never really talked one on one so it was no surprise that Payson was a little surprised.

Lauren opened her mouth to speak, but then closed it. She tried again. "He's not mad at you." She said, as if it were obvious as to who 'he' was. "He'll figure out a way to work everything out. Don't worry." And with that, she walked out the door. Payson's eyes followed her and when she was gone, she tried to decipher what Lauren meant. She knew he wasn't mad at her, he was just…confusing.


	3. Midnight Needs

A/N: Another thank you to everyone reading this, favoriting, and leaving reviews! This is the most buzz I've gotten for one of my fanfics so thank you tons! I also wanted to say that this is set a couple weeks after the second chapter only so that Payson is out of the hospital.

Chapter 3: Midnight Needs

The upsides of finally being back home were fairly simple for Payson: she got to sleep in her own bed, use her own bathroom, and eat real food. The downside was even simpler: no privacy. At least at the hospital there was a visitor's time. People could stay as long as they wanted until a nurse would come in to either change her sheets, bring her food, or help her use the toilet. Any of these interruptions would jar her visitor's memory that they needed to get back to work/make it back before curfew. Now that she was home, she was under constant check-ins.

"Mom, I told you. I'm not hungry." Payson said, before pulling her blanket over her head. Even that couldn't muffle her mother's sigh and the sound of a plate being placed on her dresser.

"Payson, you haven't eaten since you got home. You need something in your system." Her mom said simply before sitting on the edge of the bed. Payson removed the covers from her face and moved over to look at her mom's worried eyes. "What's wrong?"

Payson made a small face. "What's wrong?" She repeated. "Mom, I'll never be able to do gymnastics ever again."

"I know. I know that this is unsettling for you, but –"

"There's no 'buts' Mom! Gymnastics is my life. I can't give it up."

"Payson, I get it. The last thing I want is for us to be in this situation. BUT we are, and we have to handle it maturely. As your mother, I'd rather see you walking and healthy than doing gymnastics." Her mother said, grasping onto the last word of the night. Payson sighed and rolled back over.

Was there anyone who understood how she was feeling? The answer was an overwhelming no. Everyone was treating her like some china doll. They didn't get how it felt to go from the top of the world to the bottom in a matter of seconds. And the sad part was that they didn't want to.

"Well I'm going to clean up the kitchen and then go to bed. If you decide to eat dinner, just put it in the sink. I'll clean it tomorrow." Her mom leaned down and kissed her forehead lightly. "Night." She got up and closed the door behind her. Payson rolled over and looked over at the plate of meatloaf and mashed potatoes on the plate. Any thoughts of hunger pushed out of her mind. She didn't need to eat, she needed to get out of this house.

The baby faced blonde crawled out of bed, slipping out of her pajamas and into her purple leotard. She slipped on some sweats, hoodie, and sneakers before going over and fixing up her bed. She propped up the pillows to resemble a head and then pulled the blankets up. That was as good as it was going to get.

As soon as the light in her parent's room shut off, the sign that they were both asleep, she closed her door and headed out the front door. The only way she was getting to the gym was by running and she had enough energy to do it. She ran down the pavement to the gym, finally feeling some sort of exhilaration that everyone had been trying to keep from her. She didn't care if what she was doing was dangerous. She needed this.

As the lights of the gym shone brightly, a smile appeared on her face. She could vividly see herself on those bars, closing the mouths of everyone who doubted her. The doctors. Her parents. Even Kaylie, Lauren and Emily. They had slowly stopped coming to visit her, claiming that practice was taking over their lives. She couldn't get too mad at them. She would've done the same thing. All her thoughts came to a screeching halt when she saw Sasha shutting off the gym lights and locking up.

She slowed her run down and just looked at him. She was too close to move without him seeing her and she wanted him to see her. She needed him to see her.

Once he finished locking up, he turned and immediately saw her. His face went from disbelief to confusion. "Payson?" He said, walking closer. She sighed and walked up to him. When they were close enough she spoke up.

"Can you open the door? I need to practice." She said confidently, keeping their eye contact. He broke it through.

"Go home Payson." He said, before walking past her. She was prepared for this though. She wasn't going to let him walk away for the second time.

She caught up to him and stood in front of him. "I need to practice." She repeated. "Stop treating me like this. You haven't talked to me since that day and you told Kaylie that I'm not on the team anymore? You just give up on me after one hospital stunt?" She said, ignoring her constant stomach grumbles.

He shook his head. "This is different and you know that. Now go home." He tried to move past her, but she held her hand up to his chest. He looked back at her.

"Please." She pleaded. "You know I can do this. There has to be a way for me to do this. Can't you at least try and help me?"

He sighed. "I'm sorry, but no. You're off the team. End of story." He moved her hand and walked up to his car. He opened the door.

She stared at him, her eyes unexpectedly welling up. "Please!" She yelled, before looking down at the ground. She sniffed and looked back up at him. He was looking dead at her. "I thought you of all people would care." She added softly, as the tears begin to flow.

This seemed to upset him. "You don't think I care? Payson, what do you want me to do? Yell at you for messing up your body after I told you not to." His voice was rising and he moved a little closer to her. "I can't be on your savior every time. You have enough confidence in yourself so why is now any different than before?"

"Because it's not just my mom or my dad. It's doctors and it's official people restricting me. I need someone on my side." She yelled right back at him.

He pulled her towards him and their lips crashed together. It was soggy from her tears, awkward, simple, and hesitant but when he pulled away, she realized it was exactly what she needed. Her eyes went from his eyes to his face rapidly until he let go.

"Now go home Payson. I mean it." He said, before getting into his car and driving off. She watched his car until it was out of sight and then held a finger up to her lips. A ghost of a smile made its way onto her lips.


	4. The Rebirth of Payson Keeler

A/N: This chapter is to create a nice flowing into a variety of different plots. The kiss in the last chapter is pretty much going to be the only moment with them for a while. I'm going to try to pace it out. Someone said the kiss was a little rushed and I completely agree but I have a reason for it. Stay with me!

Chapter 4: The Rebirth of Payson Keeler

A kiss was defined as a caress or touch with the lips. Such a simple definition for such a complicated act. Not all kisses were complicated. A kiss on the cheek was sweet and certainly didn't mean as much as a lip kiss. The same message could be sent with both, although a kiss on the lips would get the message through clearer. All these possibilities raced through Payson's head as she walked home that night and snuck back into her bed.

Sasha Belov was one confusing man, but that was what she liked about him. She generally had everyone around her figured out except Sasha. That's why she always went to him for advice. In her eyes, there were peers that would agree with whatever she decided and the others would disagree. Sasha was the only one to give her the right answer and surprise her in the process.

This whole time he had been her coach, she had never realized any attraction between them. He was always praising her on a different level then Kaylie, Lauren, and Emily. Sure, she believed that she was the best and deserved to be in the number one position, but he never doubted her. Even from their first meeting, he made her feel just that much more special.

"_You're Payson Keeler."_

"_Y-You know who I am?"_

This wasn't her though. She wasn't the type of girl to squeal over a kiss, especially one between her and her coach. It wasn't even a good kiss, not that she had that much experience to judge. When it was over, there was this weird feeling hanging in the air. So then why was she still thinking about it as she moved through her day? She had no idea.

"_It's Sasha Belov, what is there to discuss? This is awesome."_

"_Not if Lauren's a part of the package."_

"_Who cares? It's Sasha Belov."_

"_I care. What ever happened to your foot upside her head?"_

"_Kaylie! It's Sasha Belov!"_

A small part of her felt as if the kiss was Sasha's way of helping her take control of her life. Ever since she left the hospital she had been this shell of herself, moping around and letting everyone pull her down. She hadn't been acting like herself and it was messing her up way more than anyone else ever could.

That's why, while her family members had gone off to their various jobs and practices, Payson had slipped on her leotard and slowly walked outside to her backyard. She rolled out the mat in her hand onto the dewy grass and tapped her big toe on it softly before doing a small cartwheel.

Payson Keeler was back.


	5. For the Nights I Can't Remember

_A/N: I apologize from the bottom of my heart for not updating for months. Not to make excuses, but I started college in the fall and that was a huge adjustment for me. I also started becoming a huge fan of the tv show Glee, hence my newest fic. Anyways, I have not given up on this fic or this couple so stay tuned. This story is far from done._

Chapter 5: For the Nights I Can't Remember

It had been a week since Payson had started back up on gymnastics and she had been gradually improving. Her cartwheels were getting smoother, her flips were becoming sharper. She had gained back some of the confidence she had lost from her accident and finally felt like her old self. The only thing was, she needed a gym.

Her practicing had been done either in the small capacity of her room or the backyard when the house was empty. She couldn't get out of the house to a park or a grassy area without her mom giving her a hard time. She was still under intense watch and it was irritating. Deep down, she knew she needed to visit The Rock at least once to practice on actual equipment, but that would happen when she was good enough. Today seemed like that day.

"Mom, Kaylie just called. She wants to know if I could go with her to the mall in a couple minutes?" The curvy blonde lied as she walked into the kitchen and picked an apple from the fruit bowl on the counter. She hadn't actually talked to Kaylie, Lauren, or Emily in a few days but her mom didn't need to know that.

Kim rose her eyebrows as she cut up some celery on the cutting board. "Payson, you hate shopping." She stated, as if it was the most obvious fact in the world – which it very well might be. "And I didn't hear the phone ring." She added, looking in the direction of the telephone.

"Mom, I need to get out of this house." Payson interrupted, ignoring her mother. "All I ever see is you and Becca, who I love, but I need some space." She whined. "Look at me, I'm fine. I think I can go to the mall for a couple of hours without the emergency room being notified." She said, taking a bite of her apple to somehow show she was perfectly fine. The only thing it accomplished was making Kim laugh.

"Okay fine." Mrs. Keeler said, letting out a few laughs. "You do seem to be getting better. And happier." She said, looking at her a little closer. Payson broke the glance and finished chewing her apple.

"Thanks." She said, walking around the counter and giving her a quick hug. "Do you want me to get you anything?" She teased, grabbing the house keys from the counter.

The older Keeler laughed. "No, I'm fine. Have fun!" She said, going back to the celery. Payson nodded and practically raced out the door. Freedom.

***

As she walked into the huge glass doors of the Rock, a smile instantly appeared on her face. She had missed this place. It was her second home.

One by one, her former teammates stopped their activities and watched her as she removed her jeans and t-shirt, revealing her leotard. They instantly started whispering, which was what she expected. She almost felt bad that she didn't care enough.

"Payson, what are you doing here?" Kaylie said, walking over to her. Behind her were Emily and Lauren, who both looked as if they had seen a ghost.

Payson pulled her hair into its signature unkempt bun and answered. "Getting ready to practice." She said, nonchalantly. "I think I'm gonna start with the balance beam. You?"

"Payson! You're not supposed to be here." Kaylie scolded, her voice worrisome. "If Sasha catches you here then –"

"Thanks for reminding me." Payson interrupted, adjusting the shoulder of leotard. "I'll start with Sasha and then go to the balance beam. See you in a bit." She said, pushing past her and everyone else staring at her.

Outside Payson Keeler looked confident, but on the inside her stomach was doing cartwheels of its own. She hadn't seen Sasha since the night they kissed and she was a little worried about how things were between them. He had no idea that their kiss was part of the reason she started up again.

As she approached his office, she heard what sounded like people talking. She pushed the door open a tad and saw Sasha and the back of a woman's head. From the look on Sasha's face, they were deep in an argument.

"Andie, I don't know if you noticed, but I'm working right now. Can we please talk about this some other time?" Sasha said, lowering his voice to a supposed whisper but obviously yelling. He stepped closer and put his hands on the sides of her face. "I'll call you when I'm done, okay?" He gave her a small kiss, which made Payson's stomach drop.

"Andie" nodded and, after some whispers and more kissing, grabbed her purse before turning and opening the door. She stared at Payson for a few moments before smiling. "Sasha's free now. Sorry about that." She said, walking past her. Payson was now looking dead and Sasha and vice versa.

Sasha made a face and walked closer to the door. "Payson, what are you doing here?" He was the second person to ask her that today, and her answer to this one seemed less sure than before. She looked back at Andie, who was heading out the front door. He followed her gaze and then looked at her, his expression going back to unreadable. "Payson, about the…kiss. It shouldn't have happened."

Those words were ones she should've expected, but maybe in different circumstances. To think that she had almost let herself have feelings for Sasha Belov. Her gymnastics coach. What was she thinking? She had needed someone to stop feeling sorry for her, so she relied on the one person she knew would tell her the truth. Big mistake.

"I just wanted to let you know that I'm back on the team. If you need me, I'll be on the balance beam." Payson said, before turning and heading down the stairs. From now on, she was relying on herself and herself only.


	6. Silence And Uncertainty

A/N: Here it is! The final two chapters of Forbidden Fruit. Thank you guys so much so following me to this moment. I still cannot believe that I made the first Payson/Sasha fic and I know I had an extremely long hiatus but I still appreciate those who followed me. Enjoy this fic and the rest of the season!

Chapter 6: Silence and Uncertainty

It had been three days. Sasha was ignoring her.

Honestly, it shouldn't be bothering her as much as it was. She was still mad at him for kicking her off the team in the first place and the whole Andie situation. But all in all he was her coach and she needed him to help her practice.

Three days of sneaking out of her house, lying to her mom about hanging out with Kaylie, and ignoring the small aches as she kept practicing. This was her whole life and she wanted this, even if Sasha wasn't willing to help her.

In saying this, it came to a surprise when she was called into Sasha's office on the fourth day. She couldn't help but be a tad bit nervous – a feeling often foreign to her – as she walked into his office.

"You wanted to talk to me?" She said, barely above a whisper. He looked up from his papers and sighed, motioning for her to come in and close the door. Both of which she did before she sat down.

He was silent for a few moments before he started. "Payson, you've showed extreme endurance and perseverance these past few days. I've hardly seen any gymnast, professional or not, fight as hard as you have been and I commend you for that." He paused. "But I can't let you continue this."

"Continue what?" She said, instantly getting defensive.

"Practicing here at The Rock. You're not on the team anymore and you're taking up space for the other girls. I'm sorry." He added on at the end, as if that accounted for anything right now.

She shook her head slowly. "No, I told you I'm back. You just said I've fought harder than any gymnasts around! I can do this."

"No you can't." Sasha said quickly. "What part of that don't you get? If you continue down this path you won't be able to walk. This is serious. I'm not telling you this to hurt you, I'm telling you this as your coach."

"Former coach." She interrupted. "I'm not on the team anymore, remember?" She said, standing up. "You know what, I'm done Sasha. All this crap you fed me about how I'm the best and I can handle anything when you don't even believe in me."

"I'm trying to do the right thing here!" He said, standing up as well.

"How? By crushing my dreams and making me feel worthless or by pulling me into your drama?" The last part just kind of slipped out, but it was too late to take it back.

"What are you talking about?" He said, walking around the desk over to her. His face, unreadable as always.

She glared. "Andie? Your girlfriend?" She started. Once that was out the next part came much easier. "I don't get how you could…kiss me when you have a girlfriend. What kind of person does that?"

His expression softened and he looked down. "Payson –"

"No, I'm done. I don't need this unnecessary stress in my life. I'll talk to my mom about going to Denver." And with that she walked out of his office, for what she assumed was the last time.

***

As she crawled back through her window, she almost tripped onto the floor when she saw her mom and Becca staring right back at her. She adjusted herself and tried to think of an explanation.

"What is going on?" Her mom yelled, her arms wrapped around her chest tightly. "I get off early and come home to see the house empty?!"

"I was at –"

"And then I call Ronnie and she tells me that you haven't been to Kaylie's house all week. Now Becca's telling me someone saw you practicing at The Rock yesterday? Payson –"

"Yeah, I lied." Payson interjected. "But it was only because you wouldn't listen to me. I'm fine Mom. I've been amazing in practice."

"Payson, no gymnastics. I thought we covered this. You heard what the doctor said." By the tone of her mother's voice, Payson could tell she was done arguing and now she just needed to have a heart to heart. She sighed.

"Well you don't have to worry about that because Sasha kicked me off the team indefinitely today. Congratulations." She said, walking over and sitting on her bed. She looked down at her hands.

"Becca, go to your room." She heard her mom say. A silence followed soon after before, "Do you want to talk about it?"

She shook her head. She didn't feel like talking anymore. "No, I'm fine." She said, sounding like a broken record. It must've finally struck a cord because the next thing she heard was the door close and the sound of her ever-present new best friends. Silence and Uncertainty.


	7. Stay

A/N: The last chapter is a songfic, sorry to those who don't enjoy it. I think the song fits Pasha very much. It's "Stay" by Gavin DeGraw.

Chapter 7: Stay

_You don't have to be part of the problem, I just need a second chance_. _I just need a second chance._

A slight knock conjured on her door and her mom's face peaked in. "Pay, you have a visitor." The blonde looked up from her gymnast magazine to the door. Her mother's face disappeared and Sasha reappeared.

_Instead of leaving me standing in sorrow, I know that you'll understand. I hoping you'll understand._

He pushed open the door and walked in, looking around her room. Suddenly she felt self-conscious about being in her flannel pajamas and her decoration choices for her room. She sounded like such a girl right now. She sat up in her bed and just looked at him. After yesterday, she was surprised that he even looking at her.

_I know that I was wrong, but just don't walk away._

"I came here to talk to you." He finally said, standing right in front of her bed. His posture was very comfortable, considering this was the first time he had ever stepped foot in her room. It was like, he had been here before. "About our conversation yesterday." He added.

She nodded slowly, for once, out of words to say.

_Oh, won't you stay? I need you, need you here. When you're with me, all others disappear._

"Payson, I know I'm not the nicest coach or guy or whatever, but I can't believe you would think I would cheat." He said, for once showing how he felt. His heart was on his sleeve right now, a rare sight. "Andie was never my girlfriend. We hooked up one night at a bar." He said the last part a little quieter, as if he was embarrassed. "It was right after I kissed you, and I just needed to prove to myself that I wasn't some creep who was attracted to young girls. It wasn't one of my finer moments." Her heart sank - the second time around him - when he said the last part. "I was wrong though, because I'm more then attracted to you. You're way beyond your years, Payson. Way beyond. More than any other person I've met and I admire your strength."

_I'll follow close. So close I'll almost touch. I need your love, but it never hurt this much_.

She tucked a strand of hair behind her ear and looked down. These words he was saying was what she was feeling all along. She wasn't sure if she had been clinging onto him because she liked him or because he was her coach, but his words were hitting her. She looked back up at him, directly into his eyes.

_I don't wanna be someone who's searching. Finally met someone, I finally met someone. There's a couple things I'm still learning, just gotta figure out. But you need someone who knows_

He took her silence as uncertainty, however, and took a step back. "Sorry, I didn't mean to make you feel uncomfortable. I'll just go." He turned to leave, but not before she got off her bed and walked in front of him.

_Don't get caught up in mid feeling off course of day. You can take a minute before you go slipping away_

She looked up at him hesitantly, that he returned awkwardly. She wasn't really one to be extremely cheesy or girly. She didn't know anything or care about romance to know the ropes, but at that moment she had a small clue. And that's when she kissed him. It was less awkward then their first, but there was still so many things left open with it. Either way he kissed her back.

_I know I took some time but I realized my mistake._

She parted first and just looked up at him. "It's okay. I get it." She looked down briefly and then back up, no longer afraid to look into his eyes. "I'm sorry for being such a bitch about not being on the team either. I just can't picture myself not doing gymnastics, but I guess I'll have to." She said, defeatedly.

_I need your lovin' arms at night, but it never hurt this much._

He shook his head this time. "Be an assistant coach with me." Who knew six words would be all she wanted to hear ever? "I mean it, you're too good to be away from it and I don't know why I didn't think of it before. " He said, smiling a little. A smile she never thought was cute until now. "I'll talk to your mom right now if you want."

_You don't have to be part of the problem, I just need a second chance._

She smiled. A real smile that challenged The Grinch, and nodded. "I'd like that." She continued to turn around and exit her room into the living room with a man who she cared for way more than she could ever expect, and the possibility of continuing her dream.


End file.
